The diversity of bird species along this byway is really something! Ospreys, Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Anhingas, Double-crested Cormorants, and Scrub Jays are just a few of the many different birds to watch.

Great Florida Bird and Wildlife Trail

Spotting the Florida Scrub Jay on the Yearling Trail

Keep an eye out for the Osprey nest along SR 40.

Honestly, there are birds to be seen at any destination along the byway, so bring your binoculars and your camera!

Most visitors to the byway aren’t interested in a lengthy overnight backpacking experience, but still want to know where to find a short enjoyable and interpretive trail – especially in the heat of the summer. Here are a few ideas:

Visit the several hundred year old oak tree nearby the St. Johns River where Bartram, a botanist, stopped in 1774.

William Bartram, a Quaker from Britain, fell in love with wild Florida in the late 1700s/early 1800s. A naturalist, painter, and visionary, he conveyed through his books a sense of the area as an Eden. This euphoric vision inspired Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge to produce great works such as the famous poem Kubla Khan. He has a famous tree, the Bartram Oak, forever associated with him along the byway in Astor. You can locate the historic oak tree by following the link below to the Byway Map.